- The FDP's push to reduce the citizens' money is not likely to be successful
SPD and Greens reject FDP proposal to reduce Citizen's Income
The SPD and Greens have rejected an FDP proposal to reduce the Citizen's Income. According to current legislation, a reduction in the social benefit is not feasible, as clarified by the SPD-led Federal Ministry of Social Affairs.
FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr had made a proposal via the "Bild" newspaper: "The Citizen's Income is currently 14 to 20 euros too high per month." "My proposal would be an adjustment downwards, because the last calculation overestimated inflation." A reduction would relieve taxpayers by up to 850 million euros and increase employment incentives. The FDP parliamentary group would support the necessary legal changes.
Greens criticize "wild FDP fantasies"
The SPD and Greens promptly and sharply rejected the idea. "I think it's a bad idea to constantly cause uncertainty with completely unrefined ideas far from reality," said SPD parliamentary group spokesman for work and social affairs, Martin Rosemann. The deputy chairman of the Green parliamentary group, Andreas Audretsch, said that many families work and receive additional Citizen's Income because the money is not enough with the children. "These families plan with the money. We will not expose them to the whims of wild and false FDP fantasies."
Simply reducing the Citizen's Income is not possible. For this, the laws for calculating the benefit would have to be changed, which can be considered excluded in view of the reaction from the SPD and Greens. The Citizen's Income sentences are adjusted annually according to the general price and wage development in the country. Compared to the predecessor Hartz IV, additional current price developments, such as for food and clothing, are also included in the calculation of the Citizen's Income, which has led to a strong increase. At the beginning of 2024, the Citizen's Income was increased by a total of 12 percent. Since then, single people have received 563 euros per month, 61 euros more than the previous year.
Zero round in the coming year
The calculations for how high the Citizen's Income should be in the coming year are imminent. In the fall, the so-called continuation of the sentences will be determined by regulation from January. However, there would not be a reduction even if this resulted from the calculation, for example due to falling prices. The Federal Ministry of Social Affairs pointed this out. The amounts would then be continued at the current level through a "legal protection regulation". Exactly that - a zero round - is expected in the ministry for 2025.
Last year, Germany spent around 42.6 billion euros on Citizen's Income, after 36.6 billion the previous year. The state cannot arbitrarily reduce the Citizen's Income. There is also legal precedent from the Federal Constitutional Court. It is intended to secure a dignified existence for those who cannot cover their living expenses from their own income and assets.
The FDP's proposal to reduce the Citizen's Income, suggested by FDP parliamentary group leader Christian Dürr, was rejected by both the SPD and Greens. The Greens criticized the FDP for proposing "wild fantasies" that could negatively impact families who rely on the Citizen's Income for their livelihood.
